Israeli and US parents are urged to delete social apps, fearing kids may see hostage clips

Schools call for limiting children’s access to sites like TikTok, Instagram over concerns of graphic content. Hamas has already uploaded violent and horrific videos on Social Media platforms. Read my advice below. Source: Times of Israel

Maybe it is time...

to reconsider the way you went aboutthe social media habits of your child.These horrible current events show: Our children are exposed to things online, thatare highly damaging the souls and brains of our children.

So even when...

you are outside of the US or Israel. tryto think about erasing these apps for your child.

But of course, this is something that will notend up with praise from your child. Are youready to have that talk to explain why you asparents made that choice?

Somebody once said...

That strict rules with regard to smartphones and social media are love letters.

When you put your foot down, you can say:

“My child, I love you very much and I want the best for you. Right now, I know that this is tough for you but I know better and we have to say goodbye to social media for now.”

Try to talk about...

What is happening in the world rightnow. Because other parents might notgo down that road.

And your child still might be exposed to extreme violence online by watching it on his friend’s phone. Make your child aware how powerful images are and that you shouldn’t be exposed to it at a young age. You are cool to walk away from these images. And: talk to other parents to get them on board as well!

But also be aware...

That your child will have some kind of withdrawal symptoms.

Make sure to find other activities for your child. Get him or her to read again for example. Start with comics. Find other activities in the real world. Use this as a chance to reconnect with your child.

If you feel...

that getting rid of all the apps is too drastic: set up TikTok and Instagram...

With its inbuild content filters. I made a videoon how to do it on TikTok on my YouTube channel (available in German and English). Check out the videos below. There is no 100% guaranteed safety but this is the least you should do when your child is on social media.

Your child is under 16 and on TikTok? Then it's time to make sure not all content is visible to your child. Even though filters are not 100% foolproof, it's your responsibility as a parent, in my opinion, to ensure a minimum level of safety.

However, I want to give you this general advice:

According to the terms and conditions, TikTok is available from the age of 13. I always recommend starting with social media no earlier than 16. If you want to find out if your child is ready, check out my Check-up on my website: https://jana-unterberg.com/checkup

If you want to secure your network and mobile devices from unwanted content and are tired of arguing about screen time, book my Tech Support: https://jana-unterberg.com/tech-support

Dein Kind ist unter 16 und bei TikTok? Dann wird es Zeit, dass für dein Kind nicht alle Inhalte sichtbar sind. Auch wenn Filter nicht zu 100% sicher sind, so ist es aus meiner Sicht deine Pflicht als Eltern, für ein Mindestmaß an Sicherheit zu sorgen.

Generell möchte ich aber diesen Hinweis geben:

Laut den AGBs ist TikTok ab 13 freigegeben. Ich rate immer dazu, frühestens mit 16 mit Social Media zu starten. Wenn du rausfinden willst, ob dein Kind schon bereit ist, buche auf meiner Seite mein Check-up: https://jana-unterberg.com/checkup

Wenn du dein Netzwerk und mobilen Endgeräte vor ungewollten Inhalten sichern willst und es leid bist, über die Bildschirmzeit zu streiten, buche meinen Tech Support: https://jana-unterberg.com/tech-support

Last but not least...

If your child is still on WhatsApp, try tothink about adding adults on the classchat.

Because as I said: even though you delete social media apps, I doesn’t mean others will too. And these clips end up in WhatsApp chats.

I generally think that these chat groups should always be accompanied by grown-ups!